Can piercer



Jan. l, 1963` H. w. HALvoRsEN CAN PIERCER Filed March 6, 1961 INVENTOR. Meer (d. /ML Vdesw United States Patent O 3,070,882 CAN PIERCER Harry W. Halvorsen, 15646 Eastwood, Detroit 5, Mich. Filed Mar. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 93,642 2 Claims. (Cl. 30-16) This invention relates to container openers and, in particular, to can piercers.

One object of this invention is to provide a can piercer which is so constructed yas to enable a triangular hole Ito be quickly and easily punched in one end of the can, for pouring liquid contents therefrom.

Another object is to provide a can piercer of the foregoing character which is so constructed and arranged as to be operated by the pressure of the palm of the hand, thereby applying a `strong `force to cause the prong to enter 'the can top.

Another object is to provide a can piercer of the foregoing character wherein the area of the can opener adjacent the prong has a bead or rib surrounding the prong opening so as to reinforce and enhance the rigidity of the can piercer.

Another object is to provide a can piercer of the foregoing character wherein an arcuate flange substantially perpendicular -to the palm rest of the can piercer is provided tadjacent the tip of the prong, which is inclined downwardly toward the flange, so as not only to strengthen the can piercer but also to provide a locating stop for the accurate positioning of the can topy opening and additionally to shield the point of the prong from q prickin-g the fingers or hand of the operator.

Other `objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent `during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a can piercer according to one form `of the invention shown as applied to the top of a can;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section taken `along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1, with the posit-ion of the can indicated in dotted lines; and

FIGURE 3 is a left-hand end elevation of the cam piercer shown in FIGURE 1.

This is Ia continuation-in-part with reference to FIG- URES 6 and 7 of my `co-pending application Serial No. 821,230, filed June 19, 1959, -for Palm-Operated Can Opener, which was issued May 16, 1961, as U.S. Patent 2,984,002.

Referring to the drawing in det-ail, FIGURES 1 and 2 show `a can piercer, generally designated 10, according to one form `of the invention as applied to the top T of a can C and consisting generally of a palm rest 12, a piercing prong 14, and an arcuate stop ange 16. The can C is off any `conventional type, usually Cylindrical, with a flat top T joined to cylindrical `side Wall S in an annular line, with or without a slight bead.

The palm res-t 12 of the can piercer 10 is oi roughly sector-shaped form with its wid'est end t18 joining the upper edge of the ange 16 in a rounded arcuate junction 20 (FIGURE 2). The palm rest 12 has arcuate side edges 22 converging toward the rear edge 24 which is conveniently straight. The palm res-t 12 is generally at, with la hole 26 near its rearward edge 24 for hanging the can piercer 10 upon a hook (not shown).

The part of the palm rest 12 adjacent its front edge 18 is provided with a raised or upwardly-dished portion 28 (FIGURES 1 and 2) from which the piercing prong 14 is inclined downwardly from a V-shaped opening 30, the prong 14 having a sharp point 32. The V-shaped opening remains after the prong is struck downward by Patented Jan. 1, 1963 a die from the raised portion 28. The prong 14 near its junction with the raised portion 28 is raised as at 34, which increases the strength and rigidi-ty of the prong. The raised portion 34 of the prong 14 and the raised portion 2S of which it is a part have a beaded or curved junction 36' with the remainder or flat porti-on 38 of the palm rest 12.

The arcuate stop ange 16 has downwardly-converg ing side or end edges 40 and a substantially flat bottom edge 42 with a central inverted U-shaped opening or notch 44 in line with the point 32 of the prong 14. This construction enables the prong 14 to be quickly and easily cleaned by placing it under a water faucet with the stre-am of water passing through the notch 44.

In the operation of the can piercer 10', of the invention, the user places the can piercer 10 lightly upon the top T of the can C and with his 'fingers pushes the flange l16 against the adjacent side S of the can C. This positions the can piercer in the proper location for piercing, since the Iarcuate flange 16 roughly ts the `annular curvature of the rim R of the can C. He then applies downward pressure by means lof his palm upon the palm rest 12 with such force as to cause the point 32 of the prong 14 to pierce the top T of the can C, leaving a triangu.` lar opening O therein, and a triangular -ap F extending downwardly and forwardly toward the rim R, the ap F being formed and pressed down into its inclined position by the inclined prong 14.

The user then li-fts the can piercer 10 by placing his fingers either under the lower edge of .the flange 16 or under the rearward edge 24 of the palm rest 12. If smooth tand even pouring is desired, a second opening is made `diametri-cally opposite the rst opening O in order to let in the `air as the liquid ows out the other opening O.

What I claim is:

1. A can piercer comprising a generally-flat approximately sector-shaped palm rest having an arcuate forward end of extended width adapted to radially overlie the top of the can to be pierced,

an arcuate stop flange integral with and extending downwardly from said arcuate forward end and extending substantially between ythe `opposite extremities of said forward end,

and a pointed piercing prong integral lwith land' extending downwardly toward said stop ange,

said palm rest having an approximately triangular opening pointing toward said flange and said piercing prong having a junction edge with said palm rest at the side of said `opening remote from. said ange.

2. A can piercer, yaccording to claim l, wherein said palm rest has van approximately W-shaped reinforcing rib raised `above the top surface thereof with the side portions of said rib extending along the opposite sides of said opening and with the portion of said rib extending across the base of said prong and downwardly into said prong.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,019,009 Schwartz Oct. 29, 1935 2,046,879 Lepphe July 7, 1936 2,055,865 Hopkins Sept. 29, 1936 2,590,553 Lesser et al. Mar. 25, 1952 2,671,960 Rudd Mar. 16, 1954 2,703,993 Staggers Mar. 15, 1955 2,778,103 Hudson Jan. 22, 1957 2,865,095 Mahoney Dec. 23, 1958 2,984,002 Halvorsen May 16, 1961 

1. A CAN PIERCER COMPRISING A GENERALLY-FLAT APPROXIMATELY SECTOR-SHAPED PALM REST HAVING AN ARCUATE FORWARD END OF EXTENDED WIDTH ADAPTED TO RADIALLY OVERLIE THE TOP OF THE CAN TO BE PIERCED, AN ARCUATE STOP FLANGE INTEGRAL WITH AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID ARCUATE FORWARD END AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY BETWEEN THE OPPOSITE EXTREMITIES OF SAID FORWARD END, AND A POINTED PIERCING PRONG INTEGRAL WITH AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY TOWARD SAID STOP FLANGE, SAID PALM REST HAVING AN APPROXIMATELY TRIANGULAR 